During Spring Break, American Studies students went on their annual field trip to Tennessee, Alabama and Louisiana. Here are a few of the stories they encountered in New Orleans’ French Market.

Hover over to hear their stories.

Though the author of The Chicken and the Egg is listed as Beatrice Ann, the series is actually written by Buena Baptsite-Webber and illustrated by her sister Kenniece Webber.

Mecca Davis was born in New Jersey, but she’s been selling her epsom salts in the French Market the past five years.

“After living in the South, I wouldn’t move anywhere else,” Davis said.

Beth Walker of Restrung Jewelry describes her company as a type of “recycling program”. The company receives guitar strings from musicians, turns them into jewelry and donates five percent of their profits to the New Orleans Musicians Clinic.

Angelica’s family has been creating ocarinas for years. She encourages people walking by her stand to try out her ocarinas and listen to the different tones they produce. In her opinion, the pig-shaped ocarinas produce the best sound, but the Saints logos and alligators are her best sellers.